The American Beagler Forum

I was talking to a few guys that run walkers for coyote and we wre discussing shyness of some of the dogs. The topic of gun shy came up and they thought I was crazy for saying that if I can't shoot at something with my dog standing next to me then I personally would not keep it for a gun dog. Then a comment that only dumb bird dogs and other dumb a$$ muts should be the only ones you do that around. No way in hell can you shoot around a walker! What good is it if you can't shoot around your hound? I would like to hear some honest answers from those of you that gun hunt.

I've owned alot of walker coon hounds and you could shoot around them as much as you wanted.

We do a ton of coyote hunting with hounds and only once in a while do we get a gun shy dog and if they are gun shy it usually does not matter if your right next to them or 300 yards across a meadow they will run the back track to home. Keep them in the truck.

Maybe I was misundrestood in the conversation. He might of thought I would shoot torward them in a bay up or something. Most of the dogs these guys own a plain skiddish of people other than their master. Another trait that I do not like. My old walker is retiredandis starting to go down hill. I know where I am not going to look for a new if I look at all. Probably get another dumd animal like a beagle.

coyote hounds (walkers) are something i do know a little about. field trialed / hunted them for 30 + years and i'm only 44 years old. the walkers we field trial we also deer hunt those also, most cannot take shooting right over top of them but usually that is not the case in deer hunting. have only had 5-10 in that many years that would actually "put thier hands in thier pockets and give up" most might go silent for ways and then go right back after game. now these were some of the better bloodlines and they had the GET UP AND GO!!!!
won alot of hunts and money with them but i no longer have any, my partner is still raising some hounds from my old bloodlines
some hunters do break them from running off game by getting close and shooting but we never did that, you CAN make them gunshy if you want to.

It is also true to say that if you have to shoot coyotes in front of hounds in order to catch them, your hounds suck,period. Unless something is changed the shooting hound hunter will ruin the sport for everyone including themselves. If I had to shoot coyotes so that my hounds could catch them I would be too ashamed to hunt.

http://wildcatsbulletinboard.yuku.com/t ... Shoot.html

Lots of coyote hunters feel this way. I would guess they are pretty good houndsmen. In Ireland and England you NEVER shoot game in front of a hound. It is considered very poor sportsmanship. Beagles over there are expected to catch their hare.

Different strokes for different folks.

Jrupt, qoute " probably get a dumd animal like a beagle",( your spelling not mine) do a good beagle a favor and pass.

I hear you man. Sometimes I make mistakes when typing but one shouldn't speak when they can't spell themself. Good try!

I agree with you riverbottom they do suck.Growing up we always had foxhounds,and we never shot in front of them.When we would hunt in the day time we had jump dogs and kill dogs.Then you had your feild trail dogs for them 3 speed and drive hunts.

I know guys that want their hounds to be shy to strange people shy , in these cases it's a learned trait not a inhetried one ,in these cases it's maybe not a bad thing a dog that will go to anyone stands a better chance of be stole.

jumpdog1 wrote:I know guys that want their hounds to be shy to strange people shy , in these cases it's a learned trait not a inhetried one ,in these cases it's maybe not a bad thing a dog that will go to anyone stands a better chance of be stole.

I have this concern myself. After field trialing when strangers catch your dogs alot it makes it a lot easier for a would be thief to catch your dog. I've got 2 that won't go to anyone but me or my father, I wish I could get the others to do the same